Polk County, Georgia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, GA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,785 | 10,939,918 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 140.3 | 184.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.74% | 1.01% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,901 | 4,074,039 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County grew by 5.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,785 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.6% of residents. That is 1.1 points below Georgia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,453 21.6% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,287 21.2% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,452 19.3% -1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,455 17.0% +2.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Georgia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.8% of the people living in Polk County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Georgia 51.2%
- Men 49.2% Georgia 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Polk County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Polk County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Polk County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,171 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.99% | 5.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 25% lower than in Georgia.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $126,064 | $256,986 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $918 | $1,392 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.0% | 65.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 11.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $918 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 217 hours, about 9.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.0 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 217 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,723 | $6,109 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,083 | 11,986 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,088 | 1,447 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Georgia:
Chattahoochee County (8.6 min), Ben Hill County (12.7 min), Tift County (15.8 min).
Slowest:
Talbot County (40.8 min), McIntosh County (37.7 min), Paulding County (36.4 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 26 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Georgia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Polk County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Polk County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 2.62 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Georgia:
Oconee County (0.4), Fulton County (0.4), Forsyth County (0.4).
Lowest:
Quitman County (0.1), Hancock County (0.1), Taliaferro County (0.1).
Health
Polk County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.7 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.6% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.4% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Georgia:
Forsyth County (0.8), Oconee County (0.8), Fayette County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clinch County (0.7), Clay County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7).
Polk County, GA Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, GA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 43,785 residents against a local median of 113,109. Where Polk County, GA breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 21% below the local median of $73,417 at $58,171. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $33,138 on median household income, so Polk County, GA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, GA has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, GA | 43,785 | $58,171 #6/6 | $126,064 #3/6 | 26.0 min #4/6 |
| Haralson County, GA | 31,285 | $73,174 | $107,598 | 30.5 min |
| Floyd County, GA | 99,681 | $65,737 | $122,373 | 20.3 min |
| Paulding County, GA | 178,866 | $98,875 | $321,238 | 36.4 min |
| Bartow County, GA | 113,109 | $82,781 | $104,951 | 25.1 min |
| Carroll County, GA | 124,574 | $73,417 | $260,350 | 22.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, Georgia.
What is the population of Polk County, Georgia?
About 43,785 people live in Polk County, Georgia, in 15,901 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Polk County, Georgia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, Georgia has 140 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Polk County, Georgia?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($126,064 against $58,171), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $918 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Polk County, Georgia?
13.8% of adults in Polk County, Georgia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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